There are a variety of hooks that fit over the top of a door. One common type of hook has a U-shaped bracket having an opening not greater than the width of the door hook to which it is to be attached. One or more hooks extend from either or both sides of the bracket. Examples of door hooks are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,207,088, 7,185,864, 6,854,610, 6,311,851, 6,302,365, 5,607,131, 5,553,823, 5,413,297, 5,158,186, 4,817,239, and 3,907,118, and U.S. Design Pat. Nos. D549,083, D455,947, D422,198, D393,970, D374,168, D360,572, D360,355, D345,096, D342,889, D326,021, and D275,917. These door hooks are typically made of plastic or metal and are usually unitary structures.
In designing an over-the-door hook, the objective has always been to create an inexpensive hook that will fit the door while that door is open or closed and that will hold significant weight. Plastic is often used for many of the over-the-door hooks being sold, particularly those sold for hanging wreaths and other holiday decorations. However, the weight of the object being hung often causes the hook to laterally move or sway when the door is opened or closed and when the object is initially placed on the hook. If a wreath is hung on the outside of a door on a conventional U-shaped hook, the wind may cause the wreath to move laterally or swing like a pendulum. Such swaying can cause the wreath or other object to fall from the hook. Further, the swinging object or hook can scratch or otherwise mar the door when swinging back and forth. This damage is a significant problem for those who live in windy areas.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,158,186 discloses the use of a bumper that has a box-like structure to prevent a door hanging file system from contacting a door surface. The bumper is a rigid box-like structure that is affixed to rails in the file system and also affixed to the door. The bumper spaces the rails of a door hanging support or file system from contacting the vertical surface of the door.
Such a bumper system is impractical for many door hook applications because users prefer to easily remove door hooks without using tools or time consuming removal steps. This is particularly true for door hooks that are designed for being temporarily positioned on a door for a holiday season to hold a decoration, such as the hook disclosed in U.S. Design Pat. No. D360,355.
There is a need for an over-the-door hook that can hold significant weight when the door is open or closed and which permits the door to be moved without damaging the door or causing the hook to laterally sway. Such a hook must also stay in place when exposed to windy conditions. Preferably, the door hook is easily mounted and unmounted from a door.